Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-20
IDAHO IDEAS.
WHAT a ResIdent ThInks Of Il.

the Oregon Short Line railway, WIN
headquarters at Shoshone, Idaho, is in
the CITY on business which will occupy
two or three DAYS time, the Paxton being
his headquarters. Mr.. Allen was for
several wears resident of Omaha, and is
probably one of the best posted men on
the resources of the great country west
of the Missouri river than can be found
anywhere He has been making holt
day visit to his old home in Ohio, and is
now on his way back to the mountains
to prepare for the spring and summer
campaign of 1887.
There was probably never before time
when the attention Of the public was so
generally directed toward any region as
it is at present to that traversed by the
Oregon short line, the longest and most
important of all the Union Pacific S
branch lines A new era of development
has just dawned upon the territories. and
for the next ten years information Will be
sought concerning them, and immigration
will flow in that direction as in no other.
The history of the settlement of Nebras-
ka and Kansas will repeat itself in Idaho,
Oregon and Washington territory, and
the prosperity of Omaha and its tributary
territory will extend across the great
continental divide. and on to where the
foot of the Cascade range is planted in
the waters OF the Pacific. At the request
of the Republican reporter Mr.. Allen
furnished some interesting facts concer-
ming the Pacific northwest, which in
cludes Idaho, Oregon. Washington Ter
ritory. Montana and Utah, and they are
herewith given in brief:
The resources of this region consist
principally of mineral, live stock, timber
and grain or agricultural products. Dur
ing the past six months there has been
witnessed very large expansion OF min
ing industry, especially in Idaho, to
which reference will be more particular
~ made in this article. The construction
of the Oregon short line has enabled
mine owners and capitalists to receive
machinery at very much less cost than in
former days, while a general improve
ment in financial circle has led to the de-
velopment of may new properties. Take
the Wood River district of Central Idaho
for example, which yields the galena, or
silver bearing lead ores. The output
from these mines since July l, 1886,
shows an increase of over 100 per cent
over that of the previous six months.
Three of the principal mines gave the
following record for eleven months of
the last year:
Minnie Moore. 1881. 63S lbs.
Queen of the Hills. 1888, 916 lbs.
Idahoan. 5,2293 $40
All these are in the Wood river district.
The percentage of lead to the ton is 55,
with 100 ounces OF silver.
The live stock traffic of that country
has grown in the past two years to be
one of the largest items in the business
a. Oh
extensive summer and winter ranges eX
tending hundreds of miles on either side
of this road. Shipments are received
from Washington Territory and Oregon,
a magnificent sheep and horse growing
country. The large horse trade that has
sprung up with the corn raising sta.es is
one great and noteworthy feature. Full
train-loads of horses are now shipped
from this section to Nebraska. Kansas.
and other eastern points. Fully 300 of
these horses are in use on the Omaha
street railway. They are found to be
harder. more perfect in limbs and lungs,
and generally better than the horses
raised in this section.
Shoshone also shipped 100000 pounds
of live sheep. The wool shipments from
Idaho territory for 1886 aggregated over
5000. 600 pounds.
The lumber trade is rapidly increasing
on the Oregon short line: the Puget
Sound country and western Idaho sup
plying points in Utah, Idaho, Colorado.
Wyoming. and as far east as the Missouri
river with the finest bridge and dimen
sion timbers to be obtained on the CONT
nent 1t is estimated that this business
alone will average full train load "a day
during the coming season. The supply
is practically inexhaustible. and when
the lake regions are denuded of their
forests the nation will be compelled to
look to the northwest for the timber sup
ply of the future.
Within the past thirty days about forty
families from Nebraska and Eastern
points have located around Caldwell, in
the beautiful Boise valley, and taken up
lands under the homestead and desert
acts Three or four large canal enter
prises have recently been iIaugurated,
ing from one to two million acres of the
choicest fruit lands on the continent. For
abundance and quality the Idaho valleys
are not surpassed. for fruit growing by
any section in the known world.
The indications at the opening of the
year 1887 are that Idaho is about to wit
ness a mining boom and tide of immi-
grafton never before seen in the North
west The Union Pacific company has
reduced freight rates and passenger fare
very materially. and established liberal
policy in treating with the people of that
new and fertile region
Idaho is also noted for the grandeur of
her scenery, including the sublime Sho-
shone falls. owned by Omaha citizens.
for her soda springs and medicinal wa
tiers. and seems to have been provided by
nature with everything that can make life
worth living. Those who have wandered
among the Rockies and gaZed upon the
SUBMITS of the grea, Snowy range before
the sun had climbed high enough to turn
the crystal rivers into silver and light up
the plains with glory. have seen in the
dim light of the dawn!Bg day the white
peaks suddenly cleaning as though the
gates of the other world had opened and
a flood of the radiance from within had
been permitted to fall on the snow; so
high up that the footsteps OF man and
the dust of the world had never been
able TO contamiaate il. The sheen is
brighter than the stars on the sea. and
the dazzling splendor of jewels cannot
compare with it. This glitiering appear